International science festival held in St. Louis

International science festival held in St. Louis

St. Louis Science Center has been chosen to host an international science festival this fall, and for the next two years.

SciFest 08 is scheduled for October 9 to 13, and will feature workshops, programs, and demonstrations for visitors of all ages, and a symposium on the “Future of Science and Technology in St. Louis.”

The ambitious five-day festival invites visitors to “see science in a new way,” and families are encouraged to attend. Additionally, a “SciFest for Schools” offers secondary and elementary school-age classes the opportunity to participate in a variety of science activities. A program for secondary schools will take place on Thursday, Oct. 9, with special presentations the following day on stem cells, climate change, and the physics of rock and roll. Offerings for elementary school-age children are scheduled for Monday, Oct. 13.

Faculty and staff from Mizzou Engineering’s IT program will present “Chromo Keying: Putting You In the Scene,” the morning of Thursday, Oct. 9. This video technique makes a color in an image transparent, revealing another image behind it. It is used to put meteorologists in front of weather maps and to make actors appear in dangerous locations or in places that don’t actually exist.

Lego robotics will be demonstrated by MU College of Engineering graduate students the morning of Monday, Oct. 9. When computer technology meets lego bricks, electric motors, sensors, a functioning robot emerges. Participants will also learn how a human brain-muscle-senses system is similar to the LEGO system.

MU Dean of Engineering, James Thompson, will be part of a symposium on “The Future of Science and Technology in St. Louis”, to be held on Monday, Oct. 13 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Leaders from St. Louis businesses, universities, media, and civic institutions will discuss the importance of science and technology to the community, state, and nation. Top authorities in the fields of science from other parts of the U.S. and Europe will join our St. Louis panel to provide a national and international perspective.

For more information, visit the website—scifeststl.org—or call 314-286-4607.